russell



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A. H. RUSSELL. STRAIGHT PULL MAGAZINE GUN.

Patented July 11, 1893.

51 l vewtoz afloat-n11 9 t e e h W e e h s 3 L L E S U R (No Model.)

STRAIGHT PULL MAGAZINE GUN.

110. 501,367. Patented July 11. 1893.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

. A. H. RUSSELL. STRAIGHT PULL MAGAZINE GUN.

No. 501,367. Patented July 11, 1 893.

w-a m c we:

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW II. RUSSELL, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

STRAIGHT-PULL MAGAZINE-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,367, dated July 1 1, 1893.

Application filed June 1, 1892. Serial No. 435.143. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW H; RU'ssELL, of the United States Army, stationed at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of biassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ll lagazine-Guns, of which the following is a specification, referonce being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Thisinvention relates to magazine fire arms,

and the method of feeding cartridges into the.

same.

The object of the invention is to improve the breech mechanism of guns and the means by which the operating handle is held; also to control the magazine follower by the hand of the operator while said hand grasps the gun. Also to improve the method of feeding cartridges to the magazine and the construction of the magazine; also to improve Various details of the gun and its magazine and feeder.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section and partial elevation of so much of a gun, of the kind known as bolt guns, as is necessary to the understanding of the general features of my invention showing the breech bolt closed. Fig. 2'is a broken section of the rear portion of bolt and locking mechanism, the handle just started toward the opening position. Fig. 3 isa similar view s-howinglocking brace unlocked. Fig. 4 is a'view showing boltdrawn back. Fig. 5shows side and top elevations of lockingbrace. Fig. .6 is a cross section through the magazine and receiver, showing manner of applying filled cartridge package. Fig.7 is a similar view showing manner of withdrawing packing case. Fig. 8. is a view like Fig. 7, but with differently located magazine. Figs. 9 and 10 are perspectives of two forms of cartridge packing case. Fig. 11 is a sectional detail of strengthened packing case. Fig.12 is a perspective of part of a magazine broken away. tive of a magazine showing side slot. Fig. 14 is a plan .of a magazine and packing case. Fig. 15 is a plan ofmagazine with recess for catch on packing case. Fig. 16 is a perspective of a modified package holder. Fig. 17 is a section of magazine with compound lever for followers Fig. 18 isa broken detail of Fig. 13 is a perspec and bolt.

The numeral 1 indicates the barrel of a gun, and 2, the stock. A bolt 3, is located as usual in the shoe or receiver 4, and has a firing pin. 5, which projects from the rear. of the bolt, and has a rear projection or hookli. The spring 7, sear 8, and trigger 9 may be of any usual or approved construction. The bolt has a projecting rib 10, which may be either at the side or bottom of the bolt, and is calculated to stand the strain of locking and shock of recoil. This rib may project a greater or less distance, and the shoe 4 will correspond to the bolt and its projections. The locking brace 11 is pivoted to the rib'lO, and has a bearing surface which engages said rib 10 to prevent the backward movement'of the bolt when the parts are in locked'position. A handle piece 13 has a front projection, which projection enters an oblique recess or mortise in the locking brace 11. The handiepiece is connected to the brace by a pin 14 in the brace entering a groove in the handle, or by other connection which permits a free longitudinal movement of the handle relatively to the recess in the brace.

The shoe or receiver has an abutment 15, against which the free end of the locking brace swings to lock the bolt in closed position, as in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the bolt is shown.

in locked position, with the firing pin forward, as after firing. A backward pull on handle piece 13 brings the rear end of said handle back against the projection 6 of the firing pin, slightly withdrawing said pin, tothe position of Fig. 2. A continuation of the backward movement causes the handle and locking brace to swing on the pivot of said brace, and

the cam surface 16 of the handle piece,'riding under the end of hook 6, moves back thefiring pin by wedge or cam action. .Thepoint of hook 6 then falls into recess 17 in'theend of the handle piece, and'the forward pressure of thespring, acting on the firing pin," tends parallel with the bolt, the-corner 18 of said to start the cartridge.

brace bears on an abutment 19 in the shoe, thus acting with a leverage to start the bolt backward at the beginning of its movement,

Any suitable or common extractor to engage the cartridge shell may be used, and as guns and cartridges are usually constructed, the shell will be drawn out with little resistance after this first starting of the bolt. As the brace 11 swings against the bolt, a projection 20 on the handle finds a bearing against an abutment 21 at the rear of the bolt, as shown in Fig.3. The parts having assumed the position described, the continuation of the backward movement of the handle carries the locking brace and bolt directly back, to the open position of the bolt. See Fig. 4. A reversal of the movement carries the handle forward, the projection 20 acting directly against the abutment 21 on the bolt, so that no strain is thrown on the pivot of the locking brace. When the bolt is closed the further forward movement of the handle swings the brace out to locked position, the end of the brace acting against the abutment in the shoe to close the bolt with force. As the handle swings out from the bolt, the projection passes the end of the bolt after the locking brace is engaged in he abutment of the shoe, and then moves forward between the bolt and the brace, thus firmly locking the brace, and at the same time removing the obstruction from the front of projection 6 of the firing pin, so that the pin may strike a blow on the cartridge.

The firing pin, whichconstitutes the hammer, is caught by the sear S as the bolt moves forward, and held back until the trigger is pulled,as illustrated in Fig. 1. This arrangement of firing pin and trigger is not new, and other known devices might be used. The firing pin is caught, however, by the trigger in time to retain its hold on the handle and allow the handle to be swung down and lock the bolt.

The handle is of such form as to furnish a convenient hand grasp and in proximity to the trigger. It may project either at the side or at the bottom-of the gun, both constructions being common in that respect. The movement of the hand on the handle is so nearly in a straight line that the departure from such direction is almost imperceptible, and no time is lost in changing the direction of movement in looking or unlocking and sliding the bolt, as in those guns in which the handie is turned to unlock, and then drawn back.

The magazine may occupy any of the usual positions of the box or laterally feeding magazine in the gun, that is, it may open intothe bottom or into eitherside of the receiver, and may feed perpendicularly or horizontally, so far as the principles of operation are concerned. In Figs. 1 and 8 forms of magazine are shown which open upwardly into the receivcr, and in Figs. 6 and 7 magazines opening sidewise into the receiver. In each case The term lateral as here used with ref-' erenoe to a magazine, or to the receiver, ap

plies only to the lateral instead of endwise movement of the cartridges. Front and rear correspond to the ends of magazine nearest to themuzzle and breech. The top of the magazine is the end nearest the entrance to the receiver and the bottom is the end farthest from the entrance to the receiver, and the words up or down correspond.-

The sides of the magazine are the walls connecting the top, bottom and ends. These definitions apply to the magazine, whether straight or curved, vertical, horizontal or oblique, and whether the mouth is at theside or bottom of the receiver.

As applied to the receiver, the terms side, top, and bottom, have definite meaning due to the usual positions of the receiver in firing.

My purpose is to feed a packing case filled with cartridges into the magazine, and pass the case directly through the magazine, leaving the cartridges behind in the magazine.

It is common, as in the Mannlicher gun, to put a cartridge package in the magazine, and permit the empty case to be withdrawn from the magazine after the cartridges have been fired. But this is objectionable, since the cases in which cartridges are packed should be light, so as not to load the soldier with needless weight.- Being made of thin metal usually, the cases are liable to indentatio' and in such case the cartridges become clogged by the packing case against the action of the magazine spring, and the gun is temporarily disabled.

There are other cartridge packages which are put wholly or partly into the magazine or applied to the mouth thereof, and the cartridges are forced from the case into the magazine, when the cases are withdrawn from the loadin-g'end of the magazine. To avoid this reversal of movement I have arranged to pass the packing cases right through the magazine, although in the magazine of the present invention the former course may still be pursued in filling the magazine.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 6, and 7 it will be seen that the magazine 30 has an opening 31 near the bottom and at the rear end of the magazine. The rear wall 32 of the magazine extends down far enough to guide all the cartridges in the magazine, but the side walls 33 are broken away as much as may be necessary to permit the fingers to grasp a package while in the magazine through said opening, the rear wall being narrowed to prevent its interfering with the fingers. The bottom of the magazine is broken away at the rear end and the rear wall may be continuous with the'trigger guard.

Fig. 9 shows the general outline of a cartridge package, such as may be used; but as. a great Variety of cartridge packages are already known, and as the magazine may be easily adapted to receive any one of several packages without change in the magazine, it is not deemed necessary to limit the invention to its application to any particular package.

Fig. 6 shows graphically the. manner of passing the package into the magazine. It

the follower 40 be not already depressed, it- 'will be forced down by the bottom of the cartridge in the open bottomedpackage at, until the follower lies against the bottom of the magazine proper. The spring gate 35 at the top of the magazine consists of a leaf which swings out of the way as the package passes into the magazine, and swings out over the top cartridge when the package is fully in the magazine. (If the gate be located at the side of the magazine farthest from the receiveiyas in my Patent No. 230,823, of August 3, 1880, the operation of the gate on the top cartridge to stop the rise of the column will be the same.)

When the package is in the magazine, the same hand which inserted the package is quickly carried below the magazine, and the package is grasped and the casing withdrawn from the bottom of the magazine. The follower 40 stops the cartridges from going with the case, and the gate 35 retains them at the top of the magazine,

The cartridge packing case a is of sheet metal, having side and rear walls, open at top and bottom and front end, and having retaining catches b b which extend far enough over the cartridges to hold them in transportation-the fiange of the cartridges being held in the enlargement c of the case. The enlargement extends far enough to prevent forward movement, even of the cartridges nearest to the-exit, and not to obstruct their escape'past the lips. The side walls of the case may be checked or roughened, as at d, to give a firmer hold in withdrawing the case. The rear Wall 6 may be strengthened as in Fig. 11, to prevent collapse of the packing case under the grasp of the fingers.

Fig. 10 shows a form of packing case fsimilar to one now in use in a German magazine gun, for headless cartridges, the inwardly extending corrugation g projecting into the groove which takesthe place of the head used in most cartridges. Such a case can be used by my method, in a properly constructed magazine. The case can be fed into the magazine either end up. In this case the groove would extend clear to the edges,'-or near enough to prevent forward movement of the cartridge lying nearest to the exit.

Fig. 8 illustrates the position of the hand in withdrawing the cartridge case, which is passed in at the top of the magazine precisely as at present.' The only change necessary to adapt the present form of magazine to my method of loading, is the slight cutting away of the magazine at 31, and the insertion of .the spring-cartridge stop 36, while the spring catch now used .in rear, to hold the case in,

would be abandoned.

In Fig. 16 the cartridge holder h is shown as merely a plate with its edges turned in to 'the lower catch imay pass through freely and remain set, while the top catch ifwill be pressed inward to let the cartridges pass when the case is pulled out at the bottom. v It willbe readily understood that by slotting the side of the magazine, the case can becarried directly through the magazine by a continuous movement, without removing the hand entirely from the packing case. Fig. 13 shows in perspective a magazine 30 of this character, the magazine having a slot'm atthe side. The finger or .thumb of the loading hand can followthe package with a continuous movement, ejecting the packageat the bottom of the magazine. 1 Fig. 14 gives a plan of a magazine 30, having a narrow slot 12 at the side. The packing case has a projecting part 1) which extends through the slot at at the side of the magazine,

jection, but may press the case directly through the magazine.

These examples show how my methodof insorting cartridges may be employed with. many different forms of guns, some of which are well known in the art, with but slight changes in the gun. j

\Vhen it is not desired to feed a full package of cartridges into the magazine, a single cartridge may be fed in, as is usual.

Whether a single cartridge or a package is fed into the magazine, itis more convenient to have the follower depressed, so. that the cartridges or package. need not be forced against the resistance of the spring of the fol- Several mechanisms are known by which the follower may be forced back, and the cartridgesdropped in without resistance therefrom, but generally the follower is forced back by the hand which loads the cartridges, before inserting them, and released afterward by the same hand. This causes some delay, and puts all the labor on'one hand. By locat-' ing the mechanism which depresses the follower, within reach of the hand which holds the gun while loading, (usually the left hand) an advantage is gained in this respect, Fig. 1 shows the follower 40 supported on a lever 41, which lever is thrown up'by a spring, as .42, in any usual manner. The lever 41 has an arm 43 which projects forward ,from the magazine, into proximity with the hand which holds the gun at about the center of gravity of the gun. The forestock of the gunmay have a mortise 4e, into which a turned up end 45 of the lever 43 will project when the fol- IIO lower is thrown down, and this mortise may serve as a guide to press the lever a little to one side, as will be hereinafter explained, and also as a cover to the end of the lever. It is found by test that a lever so located can be manipulated by the fingers of' theleft hand which holds the gun, without impairing the facility with which the gun is brought to convenient loading position, and without loss of time, as is the case when the right hand must depress the follower, and then reach to the box for cartridges, afterward releasing the follower.

In Fig. 12 the magazine 30 is shown in perspective, partly broken away. 40 is carried by lever 50, which is pivoted in front of the magazine, and projects through a slot 51 in the front wall of the magazine. The slot 51 is slightly inclined, so as to throw the lever slightly to one side as the follower is depressed to near the bottom of the magazine. The pivotal connection, as at 53, is

'loose enough to permit this slight side movement, and spring 54: tends to raise the follower. The follower is depressed by the fingers of the left or gun-holding hand acting on the arm 55 of lever 50, and when fully depressed the follower may be held down by a spring catch, as 56, engaging said lever and also under control of the same hand, and a re verse shoulder on the same catch may prevent too much accidental depression of the follower. The inclined slot 51 directs the follower to the side of the carrier for the purpose of enabling a cartridge to be fed in at the bottom of the magazine if desired. The side of the magazine is cutaway at the bot- .tom, so that when the cartridge follower is fully depressed acartridge may passinto the opening above the follower; but when the follower is released it moves sidewise toward the opening 60, as well as upward, and the cartridge is then held from escaping from the opening 60. Of course the same result would follow from the rising of the follower, but by combining a sidewise and upward movement of the cartridge less space is required in the magazine. The cartridges-maybe pushed or rolled in from a packing case if desired.

In Fig-17 a modification'of the lever which controls the follower is shown. The lever supports the follower 40, and projects from the front of the magazine, has its arm 72 in position to be reached by the fingers of the operator, and a projection 7 3 acts on the lever 70 to depress the follower. The spring may be any usual spring.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my magazine may be loaded singly or from packing cases, through either top or bottom, or by means of a packing case passed directly through the magazine. Also that the magazine follower may be depressed by the other hand of the operator while one hand is reaching for cartridges.

As the vertical magazine becomes a transverse magazine when the gun is turned on its The follower locking brace has a shoulder 1?, which engages a cam surface in the receiver, to

give the first backward movement to the bolt as the brace unlocks. The handle piece 13 has a telescopic movement relatively to the locking brace, as has been described. The projection 13 on the handle piece can swing between the shoulder 3 and the abutment 3 on the bolt, as the bolt is unlocked, so that the handle piece has a direct bearing against the bolt in moving either forward or backward. The hook point 6 of firing pin 5 will be cainmed back by projection 13 in unlocking the bolt.

I claim- 1. In a breech loading gun, the combination of the barrel, the receiver, the bolt reciprocating in the receiver, the locking brace pivotally connected to said bolt in position to engage an abutment in the receiver, and the handle having extensible connection with the locking brace, and a shoulder engaging the bolt independently of said brace, all substantially as described.

2. The barrel, the receiver, and bolt reciprocating in the receiver, the locking brace pivoted to the bolt, and a handle connected to the locking brace and having a longitudinal movement relatively thereto, said handle having a projection in position to engage the firing pin and a projection having direct ongagement with an abutment on the bolt independently of the locking brace, all in combination.

3. The gun having a receiver and bolt substantially as described, and a firing pin having a projection, the locking brace pivotally connected to the bolt, the handle connected to the locking brace to have a slight independent longitudinal' movement, said handle having a projection which swings between the projection on the firing pin and the body of the bolt, to hold the firing pin retracted as the bolt is drawn back, the parts in combination substantially as described. V

4. In a fire arm the bolt, the firing pin having a projection, the brace pivotally connected to the bolt, the handle connected to the brace and having a recess therein, in combination with the receiver, whereby when the handle is swung toward thebolt the projection on the pin engages said handle and holds the handle into proximity with the bolt, all substantially as described.=

5. The receiver, bolt, and locking brace pivotally connected with the bolt, and the handle connected to the brace and provided with a projection which has a direct bearing against the bolt, to press said bolt forward in closing the breech, (independently of the pivot) in combination with the necessary operative adj uncts, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the receiver, bolt, and brace pivotally connected to the bolt, of the handle connected to the brace and having longitudinal movement relatively thereto, said handle having a projection which bears against the bolt and serves to hold the brace in extended position when the handle is in forward position, the parts and necessary ad juncts combined substantially as described.

7. The receiver the reciprocating bolt and looking brace pivotally connected thereto, the handle extensibly connected to the brace and having a side projection with a cam surface and a recess at the rear thereof, and the firing pin having a hook at the rear end which engages and is engaged by the projection on i.

the handle as stated, in combination with suitable adj unctive parts, substantially as described.

8. In a magazine gun, the magazine having a passage through which a cartridge package case may pass without obstruction, and a detent in the line of movement of cartridges in said case, in combination with an open ended cartridge package case constructed to pass directly through the magazine leaving the cartridges tl1erein,-substantially as described.

9. The gun having a magazine opening into the receiver, and a follower therein and hava slot extending the entire length of the magazine, in a direction transverse to the car-, fridges, so that the finger of the operator or- 11. The magazine opening laterally into thereceiver and having a slot at the side farthest from the receiver extending the entire length of the magazine transverse to the cartridges, in combination with the gate at the mouth of the magazine at the side opposite said slot.

12. The magazine gun having a magazine provided with a follower and'with front and rear walls to guide the cartridges, and with the sides cut away to permit the grasp of the packing case through said cut away portions.

13. The magazine opening laterally into the receiver, and having a slot extending through one side for the entire width of the magazine and transverse to the cartridges.

14. The magazine opening laterally into the receiver, the sides partially cutaway, and the rear wall narrowed to permit the grasp of the fingers on a case within the magazine.

15. The magazine having a spring follower, a front wall and a rear wall to guide the cartridges, and sides open in front of the lower part of the rear wall, to permit the grasp of the cartridge package, substantially as described.

16. The combination with the magazine opening laterally into the receiver open at both ends and having a recess substantially as described,of the packing case having spring catches which are allowed to expand into the recess of the magazine as the packing case is when the follower is depressed, substantially v as described.

18. The magazine of substantially the length ofthe cartridges and opening laterally into the receiver and a side loading opening near the end farthest from the receiver, sufficient to receive a cartridge, in combination with a spring follower which may be depressed beyond the side loading opening, substantially as described.

19. The gun having a magazine of substantially the length of the cartridges and opening laterally into the receiver, the loading opening at the end of the magazine farthest from the receiver, the spring follower, and a guide acting to force the follower slightly to the side of the magazine. away from said opening when the follower is depressed, the parts combined substantially as described. V

20. The magazine of substantially the length of the cartridges and having a loading opening at one side and a slot at its front inclined toward the side of the'magazine, the. follower lever passing through'said slot, and a spring follower connected to said lever, all combined substantially as described.

21. The magazine and spring'follower, and the'exposed follower lever extending outside the magazine into position to be operated by the hand of the operator while supporting the substantially as described.

22. In a magazine gun, the magazine of about the length of a cartridge and opening laterally into the receiver, the spring'followe'r in said magazine, and the exposed follower lever extending beyond the magazine into position to be operated by the fingers of the hand which supports the gun in usual position, all combined. 23. In a magazine gun,the magazine opening laterallyinto the receiver, the spring folun at about the center of gravity thereof,

lower, the follower lever extending outside the magazine and having its outer end turned toward the stock, and the stock recessed to receive the end of said lever, all combined substantially as described.

24. In a magazine gun the magazine. feeding laterally into the receiver, the spring follower, the follower lever projecting beyond the magazine, and a detent in position to hold the spring follower in depressed position.

25. In a magazine gun, the magazine feeding laterally into the receiver, the spring follower therein, and the compound follower le- 1 tion on the handle engaging directly with the bolt when the brace is unlocked, to move the bolt either forward or rearward, all substantially as described.

27. A magazine gun having a magazine opening into the receiver, and having an un: obstructed passage way through one side Wall of the-gun and magazine in a direction transverse to the cartridges, through which passage a projection on the feed clip may pass.

28. The magazine opening at one side into the receiver, and having a loading mouth in proximity to the receiver, and a loading gate interposed between the mouth of the magazine .and receiver, in combination substantially as described.

29. In a magazine gun, the magazine having a passage through which acartridge package case may pass without obstruction, and a detent in the line of movement of cartridges in said case, in combination with a cartridge package case constructed to pass through the magazine, and having a yielding catch for the cartridges whereby the cartridges remain in the magazine when the package case is passed therethrough, substantially as described.

30. The gun having a magazine opening into the receiver and recessed in its sides, and

' a detent partially closing the-lower end thereof, in combination with a clip which enters the magazine, and extends opposite therecesses in the sides of the magazine when the clip is fully entered into the magazine, substantially as described;

3i. The magazine gun having its follower lever prolonged in front of its pivot, said lever provided with an operating finger piece in front of said pivot, substantially as described.

, 32. The gun havinga magazineeonstructed to hold cartridges side by side therein and opening laterally into the receiver at one end,

and having an opening near the end farthest from the receiver, in combination with a follower lever pivoted in the frame, and having a finger piece connected thereto by which the follower may be retracted by the grasp of the hand without shifting said hand from its usual position in holding the gun, substantially as described; i

33. The gun having a magazine and a follower therein, and a follower lever connected to said follower, and provided with means, substantially as described, for depressing the follower by the action of that hand which supports the gun, while supporting the gun in usual and natural position.

34. A magazine gun having a magazine opening into the receiver, said magazine having a slot in the side farthest from the receiver, which slot or passage is unobstructed from endto e d of the magazine.

35. The magazine gun having a magazine opening into the receiver and having an unobstructed transverse opening through one side, in combination with a cartridge holding clip constructed to pass through said magazine, substantially asjdescribed.

36. The magazine gun having a magazine opening into the receiver and having an unobstructed passage or slot through one side, in combination with a feed case constructed to pass through the magazine, and having a side projection which moves in said slot, when the clip is so passed, substantially as described.

I 37. The magazine gun having a magazine opening into the receiver, said magazine having an opening at the bottom, and having its side walls cut away at the lower part so that a clip within the magazine may be grasped through said cut away portions and withdrawn from the bottom of the magazine, substantially-as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW H. RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

M. L. B. RUSSELL, C. U. KURTz. 

